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I have recently started experimenting with baking breads: beer bread, focaccia, and most recently - challah.

Problem: my challah came out rather bland. The recipe I used called for:

20 gram dry yeast
540 ml warm water
50 gram sugar
1 kg flour
60 ml oil
1 tbsp salt
(also 1 egg, 1 tsp sugar, 1/4 tsp salt for eggwashing, and sesame seeds on top)

The challahs have risen nicely, I like the texture, the colour, the shape, but it tastes bland. I wonder how I could remedy that.

Would replacing half the water with milk produce a richer flavour? Or should I try something else?

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    Challa is an egg bread, normally there are (several) eggs in the dough. Tradional challa does not normally contain any dairy products as there is something about dairy and Jewish rituals. I think there are also egg-free variants which are similar to baguettes IIRC.
    – bob1
    Commented Jan 20, 2019 at 3:00
  • Kosher pareve food rules are not related to rituals.
    – Erica
    Commented Jan 22, 2019 at 16:26
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    @bob1 What Erica is trying to say is: Jewish dietary laws (called Kashrut) say one isn't supposed to mix meat and dairy. So if you intend to eat your challah with meat, you wouldn't put milk or butter in it, and if you're a commercial producer, you wouldn't want to be making dairy challah because you wouldn't want to lose the potential buyers who'd want to eat their challah with meat. But in and of itself, there is no prohibition on dairy challah. And, dietary laws are not ritual. :)
    – Galastel supports GoFundMonica
    Commented Jan 22, 2019 at 17:20
  • @Erica and Galastel: Thanks for the information. I'm not Jewish so have little to no understanding of the laws or rituals of Judaism. I was merely reciting what I (obviously) mis-remembered from what I had read about challah; there was no offense intended in my comment.
    – bob1
    Commented Jan 22, 2019 at 17:34

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Challah bread normally has a couple eggs in the dough, partly for flavor. If you're making a sweet challah, such as cinnamon twist challah, it may have milk in the dough as well (plus cinnamon, of course!).

Challah with no eggs is, generally, rather bland. I suggest making French Toast with what you have.

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